Review

Kudrow is an upcoming pop punk band that is fronted by Jeff Rosenstock (Bomb the Music Industry!, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, and Pegasuses-XL). Their debut EP, Lando, was recorded live and released in 2009. The sound portrayed on this album is a comfortable blend of “Do It Yourself” punk music, combined with better than average lyrics, and a healthy dose of everything that the front man has to offer. Everything you’ve come to expect from a DIY band is here. Kudrow is playing honest music and not expecting anything in return, except for you to listen.

The album contains 4 pure punk songs. The first 3 come in about 2 minutes each and the fourth takes up almost half the EP at about 6 minutes long. Album opener, Commutilation!, starts out with a fast, catchy guitar rift being played behind Rosenstock singing “Everybody's pissy. An eleven foot cluster lacking the camaraderie communities foster and the breakbeat drumbeat bleakly repeats our bleating, "I GIVE NOTHING! I ASK FOR EVERYTHING!" We push.” The track ends and quickly rolls into Blink-182 Reunion and Farvreau; I often find it hard to distinguish between these songs due to their similar structure and general feel; they’re both great songs nonetheless. The EP soars through the first 3 songs without so much of a breather before finally slowing down for the first and only time for the final song, Brooklyn Pool; being over twice as long as the each of the previous 3 songs lends this song to be a much more memorable and enjoyable moment of the album. The lyrics have that familiar Rosenstock feel to them as he wails out his feelings of loneliness and the like. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find lyrics on this 13 minute EP that aren’t catchy, emotion, and brutally honest.

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “What makes this different than any other pop punk band"” Or maybe, if you’re an avid Bomb the Music Industry! fan, you already know what I’m getting at. Jeff *** Rosenstock. He is the single strongest positive/most important part of this band/album. Sure, Mike Campbell (bass) and Dave Garwack (drums) are talented and hold their own on their respective instruments. But, as lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist for every project he’s been a part of, Rosenstock is what brings out the true sound and passion behind the music. His ever-present guitar melodies are only overshadowed by the ability of his infectious lyrics to relate to everyone that hears them in a different way. Without him, Kudrow would just be another generic band placed in a genre that’s already filled to bursting.

Although it’s not generic in the sense that it sounds similar to other bands of the same genre, it is very similar to other Rosenstock fronted bands. I must admit, that through all the songs, I couldn’t stop thinking, “If this had some catchy keyboards and a horn or two behind it, it could easily be a Bomb the Music Industry! song.” This is not entirely a negative; however the band should really try to separate and expand on their own sound rather than depending on the tried and true method that previous/current Rosenstock projects utilize. If you like the way Jeff Rosenstock sings and writes lyrics, there is no reason why you shouldn’t like this album. Even if you don’t, I recommend giving this a shot if you’ve ever liked punk/pop music. It’s full of catchy hooks and addictive emotion that is definitely worth the 13 minutes it takes to listen to this. Also, as with all the albums on quoteunquoterecords.com, this is entirely free for download.